Remember when President Obama claimed he “would not rest” until Americans were back to work? Remember how he promised a “laser-like focus” on jobs? Well, it appears Obama has some serious ADD. According to the latest Government Accountability Institute (GAI) report, Obama has only spent 3.6% of his presidency on the economy and jobs….and that is a conservative estimate.

Here are some other key findings in their report:

In 2013, Obama has spent a total of 6 hours in economic meetings. (Wow…)

Obama has spent a total of 474.4 hours in economic meetings throughout his presidency, compared to 976 hours playing golf or on vacation.

Between 2009 and 2012, Obama’s time spent in economic meetings decreased by 79%.

Does that sound like laser-like focus to you? I’m going with No. And he’s looking pretty darn rested to me. So our economy must be on track, right? Again, that would be a No. Unemployment still stands at 7.6%, with real unemployment around a whopping 14%. Our national debt is at 16.8 TRILLION and climbing. The stock market is being artificially inflated by the Federal Reserve, which economists believe is going to lead to an even bigger collapse than we experienced in 2008. Social Security is going broke. Obamacare is a train wreck, costing billions more than anticipated, and is also causing massive losses of jobs or reductions in hours, and causing companies to close their doors.

But these issues appear to be unworthy of Obama’s time. Instead he’s focusing on gun control (despite the fact the majority of Americans do not support it), promoting Planned Parenthood, and pushing immigration reform…a.k.a. amnesty (which the majority of Americans also do not support). These are not the biggest issues facing our country. According to a March Gallup poll, the issues most Americans are concerned with are: 1) economy in general, 2) dissatisfaction with government, 3) unemployment/jobs, and 4) federal budget deficit/debt. See anything interesting in those answers? That’s right….Obama isn’t focused on ANY of them. In fact, he and his Democrat cronies all state that the economy is improving, and in fact, we don’t have a spending problem. Democrat Whip Steny Hoyer claimed we have a “paying for it” problem. Yeah, just like Mike Tyson, Dennis Rodman or MC Hammer had a “paying for it” problem. Are you kidding me?

It’s clear that Obama isn’t focused on helping the middle class, although he consistently claims to be working to protect them. In fact, most of his policies will ultimately destroy the middle class. Obamacare is hitting small business owners the hardest, and middle class workers are losing hours or losing their jobs altogether. Payroll taxes went up 2% this year, despite Obama’s repeated promises of not raising taxes on the middle class “a single dime”. And let’s not forget the new internet sales tax, which will cost Americans more money, and place a tremendous burden on companies. And don’t you love the names of these bills? Note the “Affordable Care Act” and the “Market Fairness Act”. Pfft. What a joke.

Isn’t the President of the United States supposed to represent all Americans? Aren’t they supposed to look out for the interests of all of us, not just those who agree with his ideology? Obama doesn’t even attempt to work with the Republican party, or address the concerns of conservatives. Not only has this president failed to bring Americans together, but he intentionally drives us apart. The only thing this president has accomplished is to make us weaker as a nation.

Obama won re-election. The Democrats successfully put their man in office for another 4 years. So, why are they still so angry???

There are currently 35+ petitions that have been filed with the White House, with various states petitioning to secede from the U.S. of America. One of my co-workers mentioned it to me earlier this afternoon, and another co-worker (who voted for Obama) responded with “good riddance!”. Wow. Angry much? Your man won. Why are you so freakin’ mad all the time?

Are you already having buyer’s remorse? Within 48 hours of the election, more than 40 corporations announced layoffs. Small business owners are closing their doors. Companies are cutting employees, or reducing their employees from full time to part time, to avoid providing health insurance. The stock market is still down around 500 points since Tuesday. Ohio food stamp recipients (869,000 households) just found out that their benefits are being cut, to the tune of $520 million a year. We found out the administration kept information about the massive increase in food stamp recipients during July-August under wraps. They also kept the news of General Patraeus under wraps until after the election, along with the debacle in Benghazi. The list goes on. There has been nothing but negative news regarding our economy and foreign policy issues.

But it’s not like you didn’t know this was coming. You were warned. We screamed it from the rooftops. Employers even told their employees they would be laying people off if Obama was re-elected. Did you really think it would get better? Did you really think it was going to magically change when he was re-elected?

All I can say is don’t complain to me about your healthcare costs rising and your friends/family losing their jobs. You asked for it, and you got it.…now deal with the consequences.

As I’ve browsed the internet these past two days, I’m struck by the number of people who are so discouraged by Obama’s re-election, that they are ready to just give up. Some have vowed to turn off the news and become an uninformed voter, because it would just be easier. Some talked about quitting their jobs and going on food stamps and welfare. It’s sad to think that any American sees that as a better option.

While I’m sure many of those discouraged voters are just venting and have no real intention of giving up, it’s clear that many feel their efforts just didn’t matter this time around. But we cannot give up. That’s what they want us to do. We cannot lose focus on the real problem. It’s about more than just Barack Obama. It’s about our liberty. It’s about the Constitution. It’s about the country we’re leaving for our children and grandchildren. We’re the world’s last best hope. We’re that shining city on the hill. This is America, the greatest country in the world. Too many men have fought and died to keep this country free, and we can NOT let them die in vain.

Why did we lose? Did the Democrats have better ideas? Did they have a better message? Do they have stronger values? No. They campaigned on fear, not ideas. Their message was full of lies and misinformation. They made false claims about Mitt Romney’s character. They painted him to be a liar, tax cheat, and an uncaring, disconnected rich man who was only out to help the wealthiest Americans. They scared women into believing that Republicans want to take away health care and contraceptives. They scared seniors into thinking Republicans were going to take away their social security and Medicare benefits. They scared young people into thinking Republicans would take away their opportunities for a good education. They used the same sorry scare tactics they use EVERY election. We know those things couldn’t be further from the truth, but the uninformed voters believe it. The news has been so filtered, that unless you’re getting your news from Fox, conservative talk radio, or conservative blogs, you’re just not getting the truth. The main stream media no longer breaks the news…..it shapes the news. They decide what to report, based on which stories will either help the Democrat or hurt the Republican. Period. And Obama just had a better ground game. Despite the decline in enthusiasm for Obama, his campaign got people to the polls.

So what now? We press on. We look toward 2014, and we find a way to articulate our message in a clearer way. We don’t change our core principles….we will never win by changing who we are. We find a way to make people understand who we are, and why our ideas are the right ideas. We find a way to make them understand how this country can become more prosperous through lower taxes and less government, and that smaller government is a more effective government.

Democrats pander by dividing the country into voting blocs. We are all Americans. We should not be put into boxes according to color, gender or class. That’s not the American way of doing things. We shouldn’t appeal to women and minorities by promising them things we can’t deliver or by changing our principles. We should appeal to them by setting the example. The Republican party has not been able to shake the stereotype of being the party of rich white men. It couldn’t be further from the truth, yet it’s how we are perceived. We have a very diverse group of strong conservative leaders from all backgrounds. We have Michele Bachmann, Sarah Palin, Marsha Blackburn, Nikki Haley, Mia Love, Allen West, Ted Cruz and Bobby Jindal, just to name a few. But Democrats have effectively kept us in a box, and we often just assume that we cannot get the black or Hispanic votes. We can. We just aren’t trying hard enough.

2014 is our next goal. We have 20 Democrat senators to unseat, and 13 Republican seats to defend. We need to retain the House. We have gubernatorial seats to replace and defend. This is no time for discouragement and defeat….we still have work to do.

Americans have spent the last four years watching our country being taken from us. We have a president who thinks he is above the law. He violates the Constitution, bypasses Congress, and ignores the American people. He’s running up our national debt at unprecedented rates. He picks winners and losers. He takes from the successful, hard working Americans and gives to those who sit with their hand out. He gives our hard earned tax dollars to countries who work against us. He hosts leaders of radical Muslim regimes in the White House, while ignoring the leaders of our closet ally countries. He disrespects our military. He allowed four Americans to die in Libya, without doing anything to save them, then lied to the American public, and targeted someone who had nothing to do with the attacks.

This president has the most pro-abortion record in Congress, even voting against measures to save the life of an innocent baby born in a botched abortion. He has worked against religious freedom of Christians while promoting the religion of Islam. He focuses on things like free contraception for women, while ignoring the fact that we have 23 million Americans who are unemployed or underemployed. He’s doing nothing to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy, trotting off to Las Vegas on campaign stops while people on the East Coast have no homes, no heat, no gas and no food or water.

This is a pivotal election. We cannot afford to be complacent. That’s how we got into this mess in the first place. We have leaders in Congress who need to be removed. We have a president who needs his walking papers. We need to get back to the principles this country was founded upon. We need to take our country back. This is the time. If not us, who? If not now, when?

I regularly have conversations with Democrats who cannot successfully defend the president’s record. In fact, they don’t even try. It’s either an attack on Romney, usually without basis in fact, or it’s some lame excuse about Obama’s social record, if they even make that much of an effort.

I have these conversations quite frequently with one particular co-worker. We had a very intense debate recently, which I later realized epitomizes the logic of the typical Obama voter. I asked why he supported Obama over Romney. His first effort was to trash Romney, for everything from not paying enough taxes to killing jobs while at Bain Capital. I successfully debunked every charge he made against Romney, and once he ran out of ideas, he said that none of it mattered anyway, because he supported Obama’s social policies, and that was it.

So, I’m curious….is that really enough of a reason to support this president?

We’ve talked about Obama’s group of friends and associates until we’re blue in the face. Controversial figures like Bill Ayers, Frank Marshall Davis and Reverend Wright have come up for the past 4 years, but it doesn’t seem to have any affect. We’ve talked about Obama’s relationships with, or defense of, radical groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and the New Black Panther Party, yet supporters just don’t seem to care. I was always taught that the people we hang around with says a lot about the person we are. Does that not apply anymore? Does character even matter?

We’ve pointed out Obama’s socialist/Marxist/communist philosophies. We’ve pointed out his messages of class warfare, division and wealth distribution. We’ve pointed out his extreme views on abortion. It’s not enough.

What about the economy? Growth has been virtually stagnant through Obama’s entire term. Growth was slower this month than last month, and slower last month than the previous month. Unemployment is still around 8%, with real unemployment closer to 15%. Millions of Americans are underemployed. Houses are still under water. Gas and food prices are still up. We’ve reached $16 trillion of debt. Businesses are afraid to expand. The future is uncertain. Yet, millions of Americans still support this president.

What about health care? Insurance rates are going up – in my case, by 50%, in other cases, by 75% or 100%. Some companies are dropping coverage altogether. The Affordable Care Act is anything but affordable. Doctors are getting out of medicine. Reimbursement rates are dropping. The health care law is costing us over $1 trillion at this point, a number which grows consistently. Yet, Obama’s support in this election is still around 45-47%.

So here is my question to Obama voters: What will make you sit up and take notice?

It is $20 trillion in debt? $30 trillion in debt? What’s the number?

Is it 18% unemployment? 25%?

Is it $5/gallon for gas? $10?

Is it 1 in 5 Americans on food stamps? One in 3? Food stamps for all?

Is it a completely decimated U.S. military?

Or are you completely satisfied with this president, economy and national defense be damned, just because he supports gay marriage and free birth control?

When Mitt Romney became the presumptive Republican nominee for President, I was less than thrilled. He was definitely not my first choice, as I believed he was too moderate and may not be strong enough to beat Obama. But, he was our nominee, and I was ready to rally behind him. Conservative talk show host Mark Levin has often said, and I have reiterated, that he would vote for an orange juice can over Obama. Anybody would be a better choice than our current president, and Romney was my “anybody but Obama” candidate.

However, my feelings towards Romney have changed, and my support has grown over the past few months. As I’ve seen him with his family, and heard the stories of his selfless acts and contributions to others, he has struck me as a genuinely good person with a strong sense of family, and a man of moral character. Of course, I’ve been involved in the political process long enough to know that many, if not most, politicians will do and say whatever it takes to win, and maybe Romney’s apparent move to the right is nothing more than a political game. We’ll see as time goes on. But I have no doubt about his views on the the importance of the family unit, and I can see he walks the walk when it comes to his own family. That’s something we’re not seeing enough of these days.

I recently had a liberal tell me that our country has been in decline for years, speaking only of economic issues. I quickly pointed out to him that while I agree that our country has been in decline, the core of the problem isn’t economic…it’s social. We have all but said fathers are no longer needed in the home. Television shows portray fathers as clueless morons, and the kids are smarter than the parents. Children’s shows portray all adults as bumbling idiots, especially parents and teachers, and are often shown blatant disrespect. The government has essentially told single mothers that they don’t need fathers for their children, because the government is here to take care of them. The media mocks traditional families and our values as lame and outdated, and they encourage alternative lifestyles. They glorify single parents in Hollywood, and mock stay-at-home mothers. Our entitlement society is growing by leaps and bounds, and we’re just telling people to let the government take care of them, instead of telling them that there is a better way, and that they can be anything they want to be. Many are 3rd and 4th generation welfare recipients, and this is all they know. They have no goals for themselves or their children, and have no hope for their futures. The list goes on….

We need a strong man in the White House, who sees the importance of the family and traditional values. We need someone who takes those commitments seriously, and who will set an example for those around him and for the country as a whole. We need a man who not only claims faith, but lives his faith.

There are two other very important issues where my support for Romney is strong. One is his love of country. It is clear that he wants this country to be successful. He doesn’t make the lofty promises that Obama did, like parting the oceans and healing the planet, but he wants to do what he can to fix our economic problems, and give every American the opportunity to create his or her own success. President Obama talks about fair shots and equal opportunity, but his actual policies only show an effort to provide equal outcomes. Take from those who have and give to those who have not, instead of providing an opportunity for everyone to make their own way and their own wealth.

The second area of strength is in Romney’s support of our military. He reiterated Reagan’s philosophy of peace through strength. He wants to make our military such a strong force, that no one would dare test it. We’ve clearly seen the opposite from President Obama, who has worked to downgrade our military over the past 3 1/2 years. When our military is all but decimated, and we’re no longer a force for good in the world, who will these other countries turn to? Who will be that shining city on a hill?

There are other issues where I think Romney will be effective. Obviously, he has a strong private sector background, and a record of job creation, and I trust in his ability to make strides in fixing this economy. Another strength that crossed my mind as I listened to his speech last night is Romney’s overall work ethic. When he promised to work hard for the American people, I believed it. I think he’ll do just that. In one of the videos last night, a former staffer told the story of Romney putting up a chart during a cabinet meeting, with every campaign promise on it, and he worked to fulfill every one of them by the end of his term. Isn’t that what every politician should be doing? Do you think Obama has a similar chart? We hear stories all the time about Obama playing round after round of golf, and quite frankly, his schedule is pretty open for the leader of the free world. He has more campaign events than meetings. His first meeting of the day is somewhere around 9:30 or 10, where President Bush was in the office by 6 or 6:30, and at his daily briefings by 7. Despite Obama’s promise of a laser-like focus on jobs, he just really doesn’t seem to be working that hard. I think we’ll see a stark contrast in Romney.

Do I think Mitt Romney is the perfect candidate? No. There is no perfect candidate, and Romney doesn’t carry the full conservative credentials, although Paul Ryan does. But I think he’s a good man, he’ll uphold the integrity of the office, respect and uphold the Constitution, and work hard for the American people. That’s all we can ask for.